You're My Clarity
by Rosesdancinginmymind
Summary: Regina lives under threat of her controlling mother. The only bright spot in her life is her saviour Emma. But is all as it seems? AU SQ. TW for self harm
1. Chapter 1

_Summary: Regina lives under threat of her controlling mother. The only bright spot in her life is her saviour Emma. But is all as it seems? AU SQ._

_I was watching Charmed earlier (I just finished uni and it's on my TV and I've got into it now) and it was one where Piper gets pulled into a dream delusion by the source and as I was watching this idea came into my head. I don't own Once or its characters. Apologies for any mistakes. I hope you like it :) _

Regina runs to the stables at the end of the estate. She knows there isn't much time before her mother catches up to her. She ducks into the stables and catches her breath hoping her mother will not find her this time. She dreads every minute she spends trapped inside the dark looming castle and she knows that when Cora catches her she'll be locked up once more.

During her childhood it wasn't so bad. Her father was there to protect her and her mother seemed to love her. Regina was a princess and a loved one. Her parents looked after her and gave her everything she ever wanted. Then one fateful night her mother's evil came to light and she killed Regina's father. From the on Cora has done her best to keep Regina close, locking her away and trying to control her life. Regina knows she needs to escape.

The only thing that keeps her going in this wretched life is Emma. She smiles just thinking of her saviour. Emma is the bright spot in her otherwise dark life. Emma came in like sunshine in a storm and provides her hope and happiness. When she's with Emma she feels safe and loved and as if she's found where she truly belongs. She knows it's only a matter of time before her mother tries to take Emma away from her too which is why they need to escape.

She waits for her breathing to return to normal as she sits against the stable wall. Finally she feels hands settle on her knees and she looks up with a smile. "Emma!" she cries happily wrapping her arms around her girlfriend. The two teens embrace before Emma kisses her lovingly. "I missed you," Emma says. She lives in the nearby village and does her best to sneak into the Mills estate whenever she can. She needs to be here for her princess after all. "I love you," Emma says caressing Regina's cheek lightly.

"I love you too my white knight," Regina replies using her nickname for her true love. Emma will be the one to save her. She knows it. Emma is the only one who believes her when she tells her about how her mother murdered her father. She's the only one who accepts the truth about the queen of hearts and her curses. When she told one of the workers in the castle, who she thought she could trust, the woman looked at her like she was mad and went straight to her mother. Emma, on the other hand, believed her and would never betray her like that. She rests her head against Emma's shoulder needing the safety and security of her touch. "We have to run," Regina says quietly and Emma looks up.

"Run where?" Emma asks. She would follow Regina anywhere if it meant they were both safe. She doesn't want to lose Regina to her mother and she certainly doesn't want Regina to lose her either.

"Anywhere," Regina says, "We just need to escape. I know my mother is planning to lock me away and we need to get away before she can."

Emma nods, "I can have supplies ready tonight if you can meet me here?"

Regina nods, "I'll be here. You'll be here?"

"I promise I will always be here for you," Emma vows solemnly and Regina smiles reassured before kissing the blonde once more. "Tonight," she says before releasing Emma from her tight hug. She watches Emma go and feels that fear settle on her chest again. She can hear her mother calling her and panic rises in her. _She's coming_ she thinks worriedly, _get away. You have to get away. _She forces herself to stand before moving to run. As she does the walls close in around her. Regina curses knowing this is her mother's brand of dark magic.

"NO!" she shouts, "You're not trapping me again!" She cries in frustration before hitting out at the walls. She can feel blood running down her hands as she continues striking out at the cold walls. She shrieks as she feels her mother's arms wrap around her waist and thrashes against the older woman. She screams as her mother drags her out of the stables.

* * *

Cora sighs as she sees her daughter wander out into the garden. Some days Regina is okay. She still looks like her little girl and on her good days she treats her like her mother and everything is okay, as okay as it can be. Other days like today and Regina is in the world she created. Cora doesn't know how much longer she'll be able to cope like this. Regina's doctor is already suggesting a hospital stay but Cora's delaying it. She fears that locking her away in a hospital will only make things worse. She knows however that Regina does need help and she wants her little girl back. She wants her daughter back and in reality.

She misses her daughter so much.

She can't remember exactly when this all started but she knows that losing her father was the trigger. Cora closes her eyes as a tear rolls down her cheek at the memory of her husband's loss. It's been three years but it doesn't hurt any less. They say time heals but Henry is still gone and her daughter still blames her for the accident. Only in Regina's world it was not a car accident that killed him, but her ripping out his heart.

The delusions hurt. They hurt more and more each day that Regina pulls away claiming she does not want to live the life the 'Queen of Hearts' is dictating for her. It hurts when her daughter looks at her with distrust and hate. It breaks her heart when her daughter looks at like she's evil and tries to escape. All she gives her daughter is love and she tries so hard to support her. Each day however is harder and harder and Cora knows that one day she will have to give in to the doctors and move Regina to a hospital.

She's still trying to put off that day. She cannot lose her daughter and she fears agreeing to Doctor Gold's recommendation will only convince Regina further that she is some wicked queen trying to lock her away.

Cora looks back out to the garden where her daughter is wearing a bright smile and staring lovingly into empty air. _Emma_ Cora thinks knowing that this is the name of Regina's best friend and true love in her reality. It breaks her heart to see Regina with an imaginary true love. She still hopes that Regina will find that kind of love in this world too but she knows her daughter has no plans to ever leave Emma behind. For Regina, Emma is the one who makes her feel safe and loved. The only time Cora even sees her little girl smile is when she's with Emma.

She knows Regina needs to recover but she doesn't want to make her miserable either. She dreads what Regina will do when she realises there is no Emma.

She looks at the time and sees they have to leave for a doctor's appointment. Cora braces herself for another struggle. Regina always resists going anywhere with her especially if it's the hospital. When she does give in she settles with this eerily vacant look that frightens Cora even more. At least when she's seeing Emma or living her delusion she's there. When she gives in she's not there. She becomes unresponsive to the point where Cora wonders how much of her daughter is even tethered to this world and if she can come back to it.

She walks out into the garden, "Regina," she calls out tentatively. Another tear slips down her cheek as Regina tenses and freezes before standing and moving to run. She gasps as her daughter collides with the house wall. She knows enough of Regina's world that she thinks of the garden as the stables and their house as a castle. She doesn't know where Regina thinks she is but she panics as she sees her daughter begin hitting out at the walls. She runs over quickly pulling the teenager away from the wall and into the house.

Regina screams and thrashes against her and Cora does her best not to sob. "It's okay Regina. It's okay," she promises as she tries to soothe her child. She can she blood running down Regina's forearms and knows it means another trip to the hospital. At least this escape attempt looks easy to fix on the outside. Some of the others have put Regina in the hospital for weeks or in one case three months. Each attempt terrifies Cora and she dreads the day that one escape attempt could be the last. "It's okay," she repeats as Regina slumps against her. She only hopes that one day she can make those words come true.

_This will probably be about four/five chapters long I think. Always happy to hear what you think and thank you very much for reading :) _


	2. Chapter 2

_Thank you so much to the response for the first chapter. Since I have this mostly planned out I should be able to update fairly quickly (well I hope so anyway!). Apologies for any mistakes. Italic sections are flashbacks. Hope you enjoy :) _

* * *

_Regina wakes with a start in her bed. The canopy creaks beneath the fourteen year old as she eases herself out of the lavish bed. Her whole room is furnished in a similarly elaborate manner – fit for a princess her mother calls it. Regina doesn't remember what woke her. She looks to the open chamber window and sees rain pouring down. At first she thinks it must just have been the weather that awoke her. _

_Then she hears shrieking. _

_Regina gasps before walking across the floor. The cold tile makes her shiver as she makes her way barefooted towards the dreadful sound. She pauses as she locates the source of the noise as her parent's chamber. _

_Panic floods her body. Perhaps an assassin come to strike out her father? Or knights from a rival royal family? Either way terror strikes the young teen and she doesn't know whether or not to run. Her feet guide her forward due to her need to know if her parents are okay. She peers her head around the door and her blood runs cold. _

_Her father lies cold and still on the floor. A ruby red stain spreads from his chest and tears roll down Regina's cheeks. He's dead. She doesn't know what to do. She crawls forward and rests her head across her father's chest as if she were wrong and could find a heartbeat. Instead there is silence. She looks across the room and sees her mother sitting coldly against the wall, a weird blank numbness across her face. Blood smears her hands. _

_Rage boils in Regina. She holds her father's body in her hands and levels an icy glare at her mother, "You did this. I know you did," she spits. _

_Her mother doesn't reply. Regina screams and flies at her mother until servants take her away muttering about the poor girl and the tragic loss._

Regina relives the same vision every day. This evening she crosses the room to stand by her chamber window. Mother has sequestered her here today after the incident yesterday. It's no matter. Regina has her ways. The queen of hearts might try and keep her under lock and key but Regina has spent enough time in these castle walls to know her way in and out. One way or another she will find a way to escape her mother.

She scratches at the bandages covering her wrists. Her mother refused to heal these wounds with magic as a punishment for her insolence. Instead of dealing with it herself like she usually does Cora simply tossed her at the doctors and let them stitch up her hands. Regina frowns knowing this will mean a few scars though she's used to those by now. She often injures herself when she tries to escape. Sometimes Cora heals them herself to avoid creating a stir with the servants and keeping up appearances. Regina scoffs. Her mother does love the image she's created of herself and if she can she sweeps Regina's little escape attempts under the rug.

Regina runs her finger over one particular straight line along her wrist. That one was just before Emma. On that day she had had enough. She was so tired of no-one ever believing her. She was worn out from grief and desperation. That was two years ago when she tried an ultimate escape knowing she would never escape her mother otherwise.

After that her mother had her locked away in a tower. She was watched of course. Watched very closely by some stern looking woman who was clearly being instructed to monitor Regina's every move. A few months later Cora came for her still pretending to be the loving doting mother and took her back to the castle. Her performance did not fool Regina. Regina still knows the truth. Her mother is the queen of hearts and after she brought her back to her castle, she kept Regina locked up in her room even more.

That escape only wound up losing her more freedom. Then suddenly hope appeared. She had been out in the gardens when she bumped into a blue eyed blonde girl around her age. Regina felt an instant connection with Emma and the pair became firm friends. Regina has kept it a secret from her mother of course for fear of losing her best friend and now true love. She fell in love fast. Now every time she sees Emma her heart soars and she knows with the other girl she found her safe place.

With Emma she knows she can get away from her mother. She can tell Cora has something planned for her. She overheard her muttering with someone she couldn't see yesterday about locking her up. _She knows I know the truth_ Regina thinks with a frown and so is trying to get rid of me. Cora murdered her father and got away with it. Regina has no doubts that her mother could do the same to her if she chose.

So she must get away.

She smiles as dusk falls knowing it will be time soon. Regina sneaks a look around her chamber before quietly knocking out the glass of her window. She reaches for her bag before climbing out onto the windowsill.

* * *

_Cora frowns as the rain hammers down. They should have just stayed the night at the hotel but Henry insisted on coming home that night since Regina had school in the morning. So they had clambered in the back and set off to drive. It didn't take long for the rain to start pouring down. Cora winces as lightning flashes before looking into the back. Her daughter is fast asleep in the back no doubt dreaming about some fantasy world or story she's concocted. She smiles. Regina's always coming up with little stories and she wonders what one will be spun for Henry and herself tomorrow morning. _

_She doesn't see the accident happen. She sees another flash of lightning before feeling the car skid. "Henry!" she cries out as the car spins across the road before slamming into a barrier. _

_She wakes a few minutes later and immediately looks to her daughter. She ignores the blood running down from a cut on her forehead and sighs in relief when she sees Regina breathing and stirring. Thank god, she thinks knowing her daughter is okay. Her heart drops when she searches for her husband. He's outside of the car lying still on the soaking wet road. _

_"No," she whimpers out before climbing out the car and running out into the rain. "No, no,no," she says as she pulls Henry into her lap. "Henry please you can't leave me," she pleads as she presses her hand to a bleeding spot over his chest. He groans before opening his eyes, "I-l-love you," he croaks, "L-love Regina." _

_"I know. I know you do. I love you too," Cora says, "You can tell me again when you wake up later." _

_There won't be a later and they both know it. _

_"T-take care of each o-other," he says with a laboured breath before his eyes slip shut again. "No!" She shrieks, "Wake up!" she shouts. "Please," she cries as her voice drops to a sob. She places one last kiss on his still lips before she lets her tears overwhelm her. She screams as she backs away from his body and leans against the car. Shock hits her fast and everything goes numb. All she can do is stare. _

_She doesn't even notice as her daughter climbs from the car and wraps herself around Henry's body with a sob. She doesn't even flinch as Regina shouts at her to do something. She misses the accusation of blame. She doesn't even move when her daughter flies at her and hits her until the paramedics come. _

_The only thing she notices for the rest of the night is the moment they take Henry away from her._

Cora opens her eyes again with a sad sigh. At least once a day she remembers one of the worst moments of her life. _If only we'd stayed at a damn hotel_ she thinks with a miserable frown. She often wonders how things might be different had they not climbed into that car that night. Henry would be with her. Regina would be happy. Her world would make sense the way it did before. She wishes that life were not so cruel that it can hinge on one decision.

One decision to drive and life was no longer the same.

Her husband was gone and her daughter retreated so far into her fantasy world that Cora could no longer bring her back. Her heart still aches with the loss of Henry. No love could replace the one she lost with him. That night changed her family forever leaving an absence that could not be filled.

It was a few weeks before she realised what was happening with Regina. For the first few months she chalked it up to grief assuming it was her daughter's way of coping with the loss. Then it got worse. The fantasy world began to take over. Regina stopped going to school instead wandering through woods and lakes. She began talking about the queen of hearts and launching accusations at her mother. Their home suddenly became a castle, their garden the grounds of their estate.

Cora tried seeking medical help but they too simply passed it off as grief. They assured her that with love, support and time that Regina could come out of her world on her own. She didn't. Some of the doctors had tried to warn her but she didn't listen. She chose instead to hope that Regina would come back to her.

She didn't. One night reality hit Cora. One dreadful night wherein she thought she had lost her daughter forever. She still remembers walking into her room that evening and seeing those spots of red. It was then that she lost hope that she could bring Regina back herself. That suicide attempt was the thing that drove Cora to seek out psychiatric help for her daughter although that hasn't worked either. It was after that with the arrival of doctors and treatments that Emma appeared on the scene too.

Cora had hoped they could help. Lately she doesn't know if anything can bring Regina back other than Regina herself. She doesn't know if Regina wants to. She sighs again thinking back to the conversation she had with Dr Gold this afternoon. As she waited for her daughter to be stitched up he once again brought up the idea of a stay in the psychiatric hospital. She's still torn. She doesn't know if it will help or hinder.

The problem is that Cora knows that one day soon she may be pushed to a point where she has to take that chance and simply hope for the best.

A clink of glass is what startles her from her thoughts. She sits up in alarm before her heart drops. _Another escape attempt_ she thinks before running down the hall to her daughter's bedroom. Cora barges her way through the door not even bothering to knock. The last time she waited to knock she nearly lost her for good. As she barges in Cora's blood runs cold once more. What she sees is her daughter standing on the windowsill about to jump.

_Thanks for reading :) _


	3. Chapter 3

_First off I would like to apologise if the last chapter was triggering to any of you. I completely forgot to add the TWs for self-harm/suicide but have done so now on the story summary. There shouldn't be any more graphic descriptions of it but I shall keep the TW there just in case. Apologies for any mistakes and I hope you enjoy this chapter :)_

Regina clambers onto the stone windowsill with grim determination. She stares out into the inky black of the night over their vast estate. It's now or never and she knows it. Out there somewhere under the stars Emma lies in wait and then she'll finally be free. She can go and live her happy ending free from her mother's watchful eye.

The stone scratches beneath her feet as she readies herself to jump. She's about to move when the door flies open. The glass around the window causes her to wince as she moves her hand to try and keep herself steady. In the dark windy room her mother casts an imposing and terrifying presence. Regina turns her head and sees Cora's imperious figure in the door. She takes a deep breath and reminds herself to be brave, of what she is running to.

"What do you think you're doing?" Cora asks with an unimpressed scowl. She steps forward and Regina shivers in the sudden cold. "Did you really think you could steal away in the middle of the night without me noticing? You foolish girl."

Regina frowns at her mother's condescension before straightening and holding on tightly to the wall. "It doesn't matter. You can't stop me, not this time."

Cora laughs throwing her head back as she does before moving across the room to approach her wayward daughter, "Oh Regina. You really believe you can get away from me? You will _never_ be free of me darling. I'm your mother. You can't escape me."

Regina laughs hollowly, "It doesn't mean I won't try."

"Try all you like dear but I will find you. You aren't leaving this castle Regina," her mother warns.

"Why?" Regina challenges, "Are you afraid I'll tell the world about who you really are?"

"And who is it you think I really am?" Cora asks in a sweet tone Regina knows to be false. It's the one she uses when she tries to lure people into traps. Regina won't fall. She won't let herself. Her love and hope is at stake and she knows that she must get away. She will one day enlighten everyone to the truth of her mother but right now she just wants to escape and get somewhere safe before she finds someone who can give her father and her mother's other victims the justice they need.

"The Queen of Hearts," Regina accuses bitterly, "The murderer of my father and my jailor. They all see you as some poor widowed queen who reluctantly took power. They see you as this benevolent ruler, a figure of pity and respect but I know you have the wool over their eyes. You're evil. All you wanted was power and you killed my father and shut me up so you could have it."

Cora stares at her, "Is that what you believe? I loved your father."

"Not enough," Regina says, "Not more than your power. I won't let you do the same to me." With those words she takes her chance and leaps from the window. She doesn't see her mother running to the wall with a stunned gasp. _For show when people find out _Regina thinks as she rolls and hits the ground. She calculated this jump beforehand and knew she would land safely. She sends a challenging glare up at her mother before running off into the night.

"I will find you!" Cora calls out but Regina ignores the warning. She knows she doesn't have much time before Cora catches up to her and she needs to find Emma so they can get away.

Regina runs across the cool wet grass until she reaches the stables. She holds her bag securely to her chest as she looks frantically around the small barn. "Emma!" she calls out fearfully. _Please let her be here! _She can't afford to stay here too long and she daren't not think of what might happen if Emma comes here and meets Cora in her place.

After a few torturous seconds Emma emerges from behind a stall, "You made it," the blonde says with a smile and Regina grins running across the straw and wood until she's in Emma's arms. Emma embraces her tightly swinging them both around in a joyous circle before she greets her girlfriend with a loving kiss, "You made it," Emma repeats cheerfully.

Regina nods with a bright smile, "I made it. I will always make my way to you Emma. I don't care what my mother or anyone else tries. I will always find you. You're the only person who makes my life make sense. When I'm with you I have clarity and I feel like my happy ending is a possibility. With you I feel loved and safe and I know everything will be okay. I need you Emma. I love you."

Emma smiles back at her capturing her lips in another sweet kiss, "I love you too Regina and I will never let you go. I swore to save you Regina and I will not break that promise. You are my everything. You are my tether to this world. Without you I just exist but with you I actually feel alive. I love you and now we're going to be together."

Regina squeezes Emma's hand tightly, "Then let's go."

* * *

Cora barges into her daughter's room and sees the teenager standing on the windowsill. Glass litters the floor and cuts Cora's feet as she runs over to Regina to stop her from jumping. She doesn't know what Regina's envisioning. All she knows is that she cannot lose her daughter. She still believes that one day Regina can come back to this world and they can heal. She doesn't want to lose the possibility of that chance.

Regina turns to her with determined eyes, "You can't stop me," she warns.

"Regina please don't do this," Cora pleads, "Please you can't do this. You're not in a castle and if you jump you're going to hurt yourself."

"You're just saying that so you can keep me here!" Regina shouts back undeterred, "I know who you are. You're the Queen of Hearts and one day I will find someone who believes and will make sure Daddy gets the justice he deserves!"

Cora sighs, a tear running down her cheeks. It doesn't matter how many times the accusation is throw, each time it breaks her heart. "Regina I didn't hurt your father. Please don't do this. I am not who you think you are. I'm your mother and I love you!"

"Words, words, words," Regina mutters dismissively, "All part of your little performance. Well done mother, it's quite a show but you don't fool me. You killed my father. You didn't save him. You didn't! He died because of you and now you make me believe I'm crazy. You make everyone believe it but I know who you are. I know who you are underneath this front you show. You just want to keep me hidden here so I can't tell people the truth. You killed my father and now you want to make sure I never get a happy ending either!"

"That's not true!" Cora cries earnestly. She wishes with all her heart that Regina could just believe her, that she could just magically wake up and see where she really is. She just wants the accusations to stop. Every day she hears her daughter call her an evil queen or accuse of being responsible for Henry's death. What hurts her most is that Regina really and truly believes that. She doesn't know what will get through to Regina but she can't and won't give up on her. "Sweetheart please just listen to me. What I want most for you is for you to be happy. I want you to live a happy life full of love and joy and I still hope that you will have that. I am your mother and I love you so much. Please just come inside and talk to me."

"Why?" Regina asks, "So you can fill my head with more lies? No. If I come back in you'll never let me go."

In a moment of desperation Cora reaches for Regina's hand to try and pull her daughter back inside. Regina frowns and resists the second Cora wraps her hand gently around her arm. "Regina please," Cora says, "Please just don't do this. You're going to hurt yourself."

"No," Regina says insistently shaking her head, "I'm going to be happy and you can't stop us. We're getting away from you. Emma will save me. She always saves me," she adds that last part reverently and Cora lets more tears fall. Her daughter has undying faith in a girl who doesn't even exist but she won't believe a single word Cora says. She can feel the ache in her heart grow knowing that with each day the rift between her and her daughter is only worsening. "Regina there's no-one out there."

"That's a lie," Regina spits out, "Emma's there." She wrenches her hand from her mother's grasps before shoving Cora away. That motion causes her to slip. Cora pulls herself up from the carpet and screams as she sees Regina tumble away.

_Thanks for reading. Next part should be up in a few days :)_


	4. Chapter 4

_Penultimate chapter up now. Thank you to the response so far. Apologies for any mistakes and I hope you enjoy this chapter :) _

_For trigger warnings see the story summary. _

Regina takes Emma's hand as they stand in the stables together. They don't have much time and they need to run. Emma helps Regina up onto a horse and sits behind her wrapping her arms tight around Regina's waist and resting her head on the princess' shoulder, "Let's go find our happy ending," she says. Regina smiles turning to kiss her girlfriend lovingly before making the horse begin at a gentle trot.

They ride quietly into the woods sticking to trails as far away from the main roads as they can get. Regina does not how far Cora's power and eyes reach but she knows it will doubtless be far. Sticking to the shadows is safest. It's longer but it's safer and all Regina cares right now is keeping her and Emma safe so they can live freely and away from the powers keeping them apart.

Regina frowns as they canter through the trees. She's never been particularly fond of the darkness but on her recent escape attempts from the castle she's been practicing riding at night. She knows the way to freedom. By now there should be a river. All she sees however is the stark shadows of trees. The dark twisted figures cast a creepy pattern across the floor that is far too much like hands clawing at them for Regina's liking.

"What's wrong?" Emma asks noticing how Regina stiffens. She too is feeling mildly creeped out by the pitch black and the unfamiliar terrain of the forest. As an orphan she's spent a long time unsupervised exploring these woods. Right now though nothing looks as it should and an unsettling feeling of fear gnaws at Emma.

"I don't know," Regina whispers, "Something just feels off."

"I feel it too," Emma replies, "Could it be your mother?"

Regina shakes her head, "I know my mother's magic. This is different. This is, it just feels more sinister I think. I've witnessed and felt my mother's magic for years. I would know it anywhere and this isn't it. This is magic but it's not Cora's."

"Very clever dearie."

Both their heads snap towards the strange eerily pitched voice and see a man they both know from reputation. Rumplestiltskin. Regina instinctively backs the horse away a few steps and scoots into Emma. Emma laces her hands tighter around Regina as if it could stop her from having to let Regina go. Seeing Rumplestiltskin sends waves of terror through both girls. They've both heard stories. Everyone has. They can't help but wonder what he wants with them. Emma doesn't care too much. He may be the Dark One but she promised Regina a happy ending and she won't let that dream go without a fight.

"What do you want?" Emma asks in a confident voice.

Rumple titters at her bravado, "No use pretending with me dearie. I know how you feel."

Regina sits up straight to try and shield Emma from him. Emma has never been hit my magic. Regina, on the other hand, has suffered its blows far too much but that agony means she'll be better prepared for its effects. She's seen Rumple in the castle before and knows that his interests are in some way aligned with her mother. From what few interactions she's witnessed she can't tell if they're enemies or friends. What she does know is that she has no reason to trust him.

"If you know how I feel about him then you should let us pass. We have no time for you imp and you have no use for us," Regina says.

"And that is where you're wrong," he replies. He flicks his wrist and magic consumes them both before roughly depositing them on the floor. The trees reach out to grab them and hold them fast to the harsh wooden bark. Beneath the spell Regina reaches to clasp Emma's hand. Together they're always stronger. Emma smiles at Regina's touch and feels herself grow braver for the one she loves.

"What could you want with us?" Emma asks as she struggles beneath their magical binds.

"I see much," Rumple says, "I see the past, the present and what could be in the future. You two together are a threat to my future. I need your mother to cast a curse for me, and for her to cast it we need you." At the end his tone grows sinister and Emma knows deep in her heart that whatever they need Regina for cannot be good. She has images of pain and agony flashing before her mind and she knows she needs to save Regina.

Regina stills at those words and the colour drains from her face. She has heard speak of a terrible curse, one that requires a great sacrifice. Somehow she suspects that she will be that sacrifice. She cannot let that happen. No matter what happens she will fight to escape her mother and her dark plans. She never wanted evil in her life. All she has ever wanted is a happy life with someone she loves and who loves her back. With Emma she knows she can have that and she will never stop fighting for that.

Rumple fixes them both with a look before smiling. He can feel their strength but knows it is futile. He must keep them apart of he will never find his son. He sends a wave of magic at Emma causing her to disappear. Regina cries out thrashing against the trees that trap her, "I will never help you!" she cries out in a rage, "I will never stop fighting for Emma!"

The wicked imp comes closer running a scaly finger over her cheek, "Oh Regina. By the time we're through with you, you won't even remember Emma. You'll be a willing sacrifice for our curse. Now stop fighting dearie. I told your mother I'd have you back by midnight." He laughs at the comment before knocking Regina out and transporting her back to the palace.

* * *

_No, no, no, no, no_ Cora thinks in a panic as she runs from Regina's bedroom to the garden. She kneels down next to her daughter who lies unconscious in the grass. Terror runs through Cora as she imagines the worse. _Calm down. Just help her, _Cora tells herself. She cannot fall apart right now. Regina needs her to be strong, to be the one to get her help. She has no idea how her daughter will describe it when she wakes. All that matters to Cora is that her daughter wakes.

She calls for an ambulance and clasps her daughter's hand tightly. "It's okay Regina. I'm here. You're going to be okay." She whispers these assurances in the dark night air not knowing if they're for her daughter or for herself.

They take her away from her at the hospital for several hours. Hours, minutes and seconds in which Cora waits in the hellish limbo that is a hospital waiting room. She spends her moments there looking at the clock and praying that it won't be bad news. Regina has had several falls in the past but each one gets worse and worse.

After four hours the doctors let her see her baby girl. Regina's right arm is encased in plaster. There are monitors hooked up to her daughter making sure that she is still alive. Cora hears that steady heartbeat and sighs in relief. They tell her about internal bleeding that they've fixed but that Regina will have to be here for a few weeks. Cora can only hope that Regina doesn't try to escape from here too. Another tear rolls down her cheek as she sees the wrist restraints that the hospital use on her daughter. She runs her hand over Regina's hand before taking it in her own.

"I'm so sorry they're restraining you honey. I know you won't believe it but it's for your own good. It's to keep you safe and healthy. You need to stop this. Please Regina. Please stop trying to escape. I love you and I just want you back. I need you to stay alive sweetheart. I need you to keep fighting your way back to me. I don't know if you are or not but I need you to try."

The only response is the steady beat of a heart monitor. Once again the only thing Cora can do is hope that Regina will believe her words.

A knock startles her and she looks up to see Doctor Gold in the doorway. She sighs before walking over to him. "They called you down?" she asks and he nods, "What happened?"

"Another escape attempt. She was trying to run away and be with Emma."

"Cora this current treatment plan isn't working," the doctor says and Cora rests against the door with a dejected sigh. They've already been through almost all of the treatments available. None of them have worked. None of them have brought Regina out of her world.

"I know," she replies eventually looking at the man she has had to trust with her daughter's wellbeing. She knows Regina doesn't trust him. Regina views him as some kind of co-conspirator in an evil plot. She's seen all the therapists the same way. "What can we do now?"

"Hope this is a wake-up call. With Regina's condition the only one you can bring her out of this might just be herself. The fact that she fell from a house into a garden and there is no Emma here might be enough to shatter the illusion."

"But what happens if we do?" Cora asks. "I know it might be strange to ask but Emma makes her happy. That life is the only time I see my daughter smile. If she loses that what happens to her?"

The doctor can only give her a sympathetic smile, "We help her rebuild her life. If she loses her illusions we can help her live a happy and normal life in this world Cora. It will be devastating yes but it's necessary if she is to ever be back in reality."

Cora nods, "What happens if this isn't a wake-up call? What if she wakes up and sees herself in the hospital and it only worsens her condition?"

"Then we need to discuss more aggressive treatment. Right now Cora we see what happens when she wakes up. Either Emma will be here or she won't. If she's not it might be a good sign. If she is then we need to reconsider a stay in the psychiatric ward."

Cora nods thanking the doctor for his time before sitting back beside her daughter. Regina thinks she has true love. It might be a delusion but those feelings, in her daughter's mind, are real. It's a cruel world, Cora thinks, that makes her have to hope that her daughter will say goodbye to that.

_Will Emma be there or not? Hopefully I shall update soon. Thanks for reading :)_


	5. Chapter 5

_This is the last chapter. Thanks to the response to the fic so far. Apologies for any mistakes. Hope you like this final part :) _

Regina wakes with a scream. She remembers Rumplestiltskin cornering her and Emma. She can still see Emma disappearing before her eyes and a tear runs down her cheek. _Oh Emma. Please be okay. I will fight to find you_ she promises herself. She will never give up fighting for Emma, for her happy ending. She moves to lift her arm only to find it encased in plaster and her body strapped down to a strange white bed. A sharp pain sears through her side and she wonders what they have done to her.

It's a struggle to open her eyes. Whatever Rumple used to knock her out has clearly left her disorientated. She can noises but none of them sound like their estate in the Enchanted Forest. _Where has he taken me? _For once she wants her mother. If her mother is here then she knows where she is. Then she can still escape and find Emma.

"Mother!" she calls out in the hope of getting answers.

When her mother appears she is dressed strangely and Regina frowns. There is no elaborate gown or fancy hairdo. Instead her mother is wearing clothes Regina does not recognise, they certainly don't seem like anything from this land. Her hair is in a messy bun and she looks like she's barely slept.

Regina's frown deepens as she takes in her surroundings. This is not her castle. The walls are a stark white and she can hear a strange beeping. Panic rises in her chests as she struggles with her restraints. She turns to her mother with a terrified look, "What the hell did you to do to me?!" she screams before Rumplestiltskin appears again and darkness takes over once more.

* * *

"What's happening to her?" Cora asks as her daughter screams and struggles before Doctor Gold comes in and sedates her. The doctor makes a note on his chart before turning to Cora. Anxiety is written all over her face and he wishes he had a clear answer for her.

"She's waking up," he says, "But, judging from the way she woke up her realities are beginning to collide."

"Is that good or bad?"

"We don't know yet Cora," he replies with a small frown, "We have to wait until she wakes up fully to see which reality wins out."

"So that's it?" Cora asks, "We just wait?"

He nods, "We just wait."

He leaves her alone with her daughter. Cora sits by Regina's bedside and watches the slow and steady rise and fall of her daughter's chest to indicate she's asleep. Cora doesn't know what will happen when Regina wakes up. She takes Regina's good hand in her own tracing circles on it with her thumb remembering how as young girl her daughter was always comforted by it. "Please come back to me," she whispers.

She doesn't know how to bring Regina back to this world. All she can do is be here for her daughter and hope that when Regina wakes up she accepts this reality.

* * *

When Regina wakes again she is still in the strange room. They must have taken her to another realm. _The curse. My mother's curse_ Regina thinks. She knows they wanted to cast it to bring everyone to a new world so they must have cast it somehow. But then how is she still here? Unless her mother found a way to cast it and keep her alive. She wouldn't put it past Cora.

Yet it still does not make sense. There is no way to cast that curse without some great personal sacrifice. Cora has no-one but her to sacrifice and she is still here. Wherever here is.

Unless this is some place they're keeping her until they can cast the curse. It reminds her of the tower where her mother kept her before. At least when she got out of there she found Emma. Now she has to hope she can this time too. _I will find you Emma._ She struggles against her cuffs until they loosen a little.

She smiles before looking over to see her mother asleep by her bedside. That confuses her. Last time in the tower it was just her and nurses overseeing her every move. Her mother wasn't there. It must be an act right? But who for? It's just her and her mother. But then before her father died her mother put up the front of caring and loving for her until her lust for power took over.

She loosens the cuff on her left hand and wriggles it free before slowly sitting up. That ache in her side stings sharply and she moves her hand to rub it. She feels a bandage there and winces. _What happened to me? _she asks herself in a panic.

She remembers being hit by the magic but how could it have hurt her so much? She looks up around the room and sees her mother still in those strange clothes. She quickly removes the cuff from her other hand before lifting herself out of the bed. She disconnects herself from the strange machine listening as the beeping stops. She leans into examine it wondering what magic must be powering it. Regina looks over to check her mother's still sleeping before creeping out of the room.

Regina steps out into the hallway and looks around. As she does she catches sight of herself in a mirror. She gasps before stepping forward. She's dressed in simple white gown. Her hair is far shorter, curlier and untamed. As she looks at her reflection images assault her vision.

_Regina wakes up in the back of the car. They're not moving and she cannot see either of her parents. She frowns before stepping out into the cold rain of the night. Her father lies on the ground and her heart drops. "Daddy?!" she cries before running out into the rain and kneeling down beside him. "Daddy?" she calls again and sobs wrack her frame. She looks up to her mother, "Mom. Do something!" Her mother doesn't move. The next thing Regina knows strange men are taking her father away. She fights and screams until she falls asleep. _

Regina backs away from the mirror with a sob. She backs further and further away until she bumps into the wall. Flashes of memories continue to assault her and she slinks to the floor.

* * *

Cora wakes to the sound of the monitor by her daughter's bedside falling into one continuous beep. That noise has always panicked her because she knows what it means. She opens her eyes and sees Regina's bed empty. _Please don't let her have gone too far_ Cora prays.

This time it doesn't take too long to find her daughter. Just outside of the door Regina sits by the wall with her knees drawn up. Her head rests on her knees but Cora can still here her sobbing. Like always Cora doesn't know whether or not Regina will reject her attempts at comfort but she has to try. The day she stops trying is the day she loses her daughter forever and Cora can't let that happen. She kneels down beside her daughter cautiously placing her hand on Regina's knee.

Regina jumps before looking up to see her mother.

For the first time in so many years Regina doesn't flinch away so Cora moves to wipe away some of the tears that are falling. "Regina?" she asks. She doesn't dare to hope.

"Mama?" Regina asks and for a moment Cora's heart soars. She hasn't heard that word in years. She lets herself smile, "Yes sweetheart?"

Regina's next words make Cora's smile drop again.

"Where's Emma?"

_Thanks for reading :) _


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